


Long Road to Home

by FictionCat



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Christmas Angst, F/F, Family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-23
Updated: 2013-12-27
Packaged: 2018-01-05 19:20:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1097672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FictionCat/pseuds/FictionCat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Regina gets one chance to live a life that could be hers, if only she'd open herself to love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Denial

 

 

I.

It was Christmas Eve and the Mayoral Mansion was deeply shrouded in silence, as it had been for almost a year now. Regina remembered when a still baby-faced six year old Henry would beg her to help him make cookies for Santa, running around between the living room and the kitchen, too impatient to simply wait for the cookies to finish baking in the oven.

Her memories of recent Christmas evenings, though, told a completely different story. The holiday had become burdened with all the accusation and guilt between mother and son, Henry's inability to let go of his vision of Regina as the Evil Queen, and Regina's profound anguish over the rejection her lies had brought to their once peaceful and loving home.

This year, Regina could finally hope for something better. Even though Henry would be spending his Christmas Eve evening at the Charming's, with Emma and his grandparents, he had requested that Emma drove him back early the next morning so he could open his present and eat his special Christmas breakfast — hot chocolate with extra chocolate, a special treat, and a stack of pancakes sprinkled with powdered sugar to imitate the snow outside — as tradition dictates in the Mills family.

" _Oh sweetheart, you know that you're always welcome to your home._ " And then smiles had been exchanged between mother and son, and for a moment it was like the past two years didn't happen and Henry was back being the little kid who gazed up at his mommy with wide eyes full of admiration.

The simple, yet powerful, request had brought tears to Regina's eyes and when she glanced up at Emma, who had witnessed the exchange, the blonde smiled at her, pride and happiness shining in the green hue of her eyes. It should've surprised Regina, and if it were a few months ago, she would've even been suspicious of the blonde's intentions, but being stuck in Neverland and working together to get their son back had formed a new, stronger bond between them — it almost felt like trust —, closer to a true friendship as Regina had ever known all her life.

Regina wasn't even going to bother with cooking dinner tonight. She'd just settle on her couch with a glass or two of her cider, watching some of those ridiculous Christmas movies this world seems to be so fond of — she swears the same movies have been on repeat for a few decades now — and waiting for sleep to claim her. There's a slow burning anxiousness creeping inside of her at the prospect of spending the next morning with Henry, just the two of them, all of his undivided attention and love, if for a few hours only.

She flicked through countless TV channels, her restlessness never allowing her to settle for one; they all seemed too cheesy and unnecessary — all she wanted was to be with her son tonight, listening to his unwavering fascination for the holiday season. She set down the remote for the night, and not caring of what was on the TV, she let the sounds and the blurs lull her to a light sleep. She could hear little children playing in the snow, a parents' warning to be careful, followed by a thud and then a laugh. She opened her eyes for a moment and on the screen she could see a mother and her little girl on the floor, laughing together for no other apparent reason than their happiness.

Regina wondered what it was like to let happiness consume one self so easily. Was it ever easy for anyone? She'd been struggling with the effort to simply let go for longer than she can remember, if not for herself, then for her son. The sting of tears was quick to come when she thought, not for the first time, that her cold demeanor, her self-imposed distance might be keeping away new heartbreak for her, but it was also in the way of her happy ending.

Her eyes closed, heavy with the tears that were now falling down her cheeks, and the last thing Regina saw before she fell asleep was Henry's first smile.

* * *

Regina was met with silence when she opened her eyes again. At first, still drowsy, the silence was nothing more than her familiar companion. She glanced at the wall clock on the opposite wall of the living room: twenty minutes past midnight.

Her eyes quickly took notice of the man on her TV, not saying anything, just standing there as if he was waiting for something. As soon as she met his eyes though, his mouth curved into a smile.

"Hello, Regina."

It was so unexpected that Regina almost yelped. Shifting uncomfortably in her couch, she grimaced at this strange man, who seemed to be talking directly to her. Was this another one of Rumplestiltskin's tricks? Had her television been turned into a magic mirror?

"I know you're wondering who I am and what am I doing here."

Too dumbstruck to say anything in return, Regina remained uncharacteristically quiet.

"You can say I'm here to give you what you want. You can call it Christmas spirit, if you'd like."

Something in the man's words and warm smile unnerved Regina. "I don't want anything you might offer. Please leave my house."

The man chuckled, not unkindly, but as if he'd been expecting that answer from her. "Very well. You might not want anything but what about what you need?"

Regina frowned. She knew exactly what she wanted and what she needed. Her wants and needs, her happiness, were all in the small hands of the baby boy she had adopted eleven years ago. Since then, she had told herself she wouldn't want for nothing else. And she didn't. He was her everything.

"You should really refrain from making such assumptions about myself. I have everything I could possibly ever wish or need for. I have my son."

The man didn't hesitate and in an overconfident tone, he offered, "What if I could give you, let's say… a glimpse?"

"A glimpse?"

The man explained. "Yes, a glimpse of a life that could be yours. If only you let it be."

Regina's patience grew smaller and smaller with the man's nonsense. He reminded her of Rumplestiltskin, speaking in riddles and offering deals that always sounded too good to be true — and they were. Magic always comes with a price, she reminded herself.

Many had promised her a happy ending but soon she had learned to fight for what she wanted, for relying on others only brought her more pain.

"Well, that sounds really interesting but I'm gonna decline the offer. Goodnight."

She made a move for the remote laying on the far end of the couch so she could turn off the television at once.

Before she could press the power off on the remote, the man said, "Just remember, you brought this on yourself."

And that was the last thing Regina heard before she was surrounded by darkness.

* * *

Waking up had always been a lazy routine for Regina. She liked to luxuriate for a few moments in the warmth of her bed, the softness of her sheets. Often she'd wake up when the sun was still slowly rising and she liked to relinquish in the hazy orange glow that painted her room. It was the slowest moment of her day and for those first few minutes, Regina allowed herself to simply feel.

Just as she made a move to stretch, she heard a mumbled voice. "Noooo… Regina, it's Christmas… let's sleep… longer…"

It's then that she registered the sound of cartoons resonating through the mansion's walls and the weight of a body pressing down on her left side.

She opened her eyes. "Miss Swan!?"

The woman had either failed to hear Regina or had just completely ignored her because she just cuddled closer, effectively trapping Regina underneath her, an arm and a leg thrown across her body.

She looked down at the mess of blonde hair on top of her chest before she moved her eyes up to take in her surroundings. At least, she was still in her bedroom.

Before Regina was able to push off the blonde woman and get out of bed, there was a thundering sound of footsteps approaching her bedroom and her first instinct was to yell out for Henry to "stop running inside the house!" but the little girl who came bursting inside her room was very much  _not_  her 11-year old son.

"Momma! Mommy! It's Christmas! Get up! Get up!"

And then a blur of black hair jumped into her bed, disturbing the sleeping blonde and effectively moving her off of Regina. She took the opportunity to get up and now aware of her scantily clad body (she couldn't remember sleeping in just her underwear for many years, not even when Graham stayed over for the night), she searched for some clothes nearby. There was a pile of them on the chair at the corner of the room and she didn't care that it was some ugly red hoodie and grey sweats — that most probably belonged to Miss Swan,  _of course_  — she just needed to get out of there. Quickly.

Ignoring the "You know if you want pancakes you'll have to ask your— Regina?" and "Momma? Where are you going?", she left the room, a headache brewing behind her eyes and a shortness of breath not unfamiliar from that one time she had a panic attack, the night after Daniel died, and she woke up still seeing her mother's hand squeezing his heart into dust.

She hurried downstairs in hopes that maybe, maybe this would all be some remnant of last night's weird dream (an old man offering her a new life — as if it were that simple to just  _start over_ for someone like her). She hoped that when she got downstairs, her son would already be there, waiting for her with a hopeful smile in his face meaning he was going to beg for something sugary for breakfast until she had no other choice but to give in, because she once promised him she would do anything to make him happy.

Unfortunately, the only ones to greet her once she reached the foyer were those two idiots, Charming and Snow White, smiling at her behind a pile of presents. That was when she began to wonder if she was not stuck in some sort of nightmare.

Only in her worst nightmares did Snow White offer her a smile and a "Good morning, Regina! Merry Christmas!" in her annoyingly cheerful way that made Regina want to gauge off her eyes.

Regina didn't even bother saying anything back; she just huffed and pushed them off her way. She was going to go outside, drive to Granny's to get the biggest dose of caffeine possible and then she was going to pick up her son at Emma's place. Simple. A solid plan that would guarantee that when she got home she would be completely awake and no longer half-dreaming, half-delusional.

Except that plan failed pretty spectacularly when she noticed a pretty big something missing from her driveway. "Where's my Mercedes!?"

She was nearly hysterical by then because in place of her beautiful, sleek Mercedes there was a freaking  _Prius_ parked. Well, she was certainly not going back inside to get the keys. So she walked all the way from Mifflin Street to Main, where a Christmas-themed Granny was fully packed, despite it being Christmas morning. Apparently fairytale characters can be coffee addicts too.

When she walked inside, she was immediately greeted by Ruby, who was wearing the shortest Mrs. Claus dress she had ever seen. Not that she had seen that many, anyway.

"Merry Christmas, Regina! Do you want your usual?" Ruby asked.

Regina nodded, ignoring the familiarity seeping through her tone. Miss Lucas and her had never been purposely hostile towards each other but being Snow White's best friend was enough to easily put her on Regina's "to avoid" list. Which seemed to include everyone in Storybrooke at the moment.

The only person who could've possibly improved her mood that morning would've been Henry. It was with him in her mind that she walked over to the counter and she asked Ruby to hurry up with her coffee order.

For some reason, Ruby laughed at that. "In a hurry to get back home to the wife and the kids, huh?"

Regina paled at the mention of a wife. "I don't know what you're talking about, Miss Lucas."

"Oh come on, Regina, everyone knows Emma and the little monsters have you completely whipped," Ruby said, completely nonchalant to Regina's internal panic attack. "I'm surprised you even came out of the house before they opened their presents."

Before she got to say anything — if she could've formed any coherent thoughts at the moment — Dr. Hopper walked in, and after the customary and quite honestly, annoying, "Merry Christmas!" greeting, he too asked Regina about her wife and their children.

Either this was some sort of elaborate prank that all of Storybrooke was in on — and who would dare to prank the Evil Queen? — or she had gotten married overnight. To _Emma Swan_ , of all people.

"Why do I feel the need to tell you I'm Regina Mills, the mayor of Storybrooke, mother of Henry Mills?"

Dr. Hopper's cheery face morphed into one full of innocent confusion, no doubt his mind already trying to work what was wrong with her. From behind her, a laugh echoed.

"I don't know why, Madam Mayor, I think everyone in this town knows who you are. Did you magically turn into someone else overnight?"

That caught Regina's immediate attention. "I knew it. I'm already in on your little scheme, Miss Lucas. You can stop with this ridiculous joke right this moment."

Ruby's playful stance quickly disappeared after that and from the corner of her eye Regina could see her and Dr. Hopper exchange a quick look.

"Regina… what are you talking about?" Ruby asked, confusion evident in her tone.

"Nevermind, Miss Lucas."

She turned around to leave the diner before the conversation went any further, because the last thing Regina Mills likes is feeling confused, and she appreciates even less feeling that there's something that she's clearly missing. That or these people must have been really making fun of her, which she's obviously not a big fan of either.

Ruby and Dr. Hopper both called out for her but that didn't stop her from stepping out of the diner and closing the door right on their faces.

* * *

"Y'know, in my defense, I did warn you."

Maybe it was the unexpectedness of hearing someone in an otherwise empty street. Maybe it was the familiarity of a voice she thought belonged to her dreams. But Regina Mills  _jumped_  on the spot.

She turned around to find the old man from her dream… inside her Mercedes.

"Excuse me, that's  _my_  car!"

"I think your car has been a Prius for approximately… 5 years now?"

This man had the guts to take a teasing tone with her. She had ripped out hearts for less. "I don't appreciate your tone, old man."

The man smiled. "Please come inside the car. It's really cold outside."

Regina conceded, settling uncomfortably on the passenger's side — a first in all of the 28 years she has owned a car — and the man's smile didn't disappear, as if he thought of her harmless, she decided on a different approach. "Alright, how much do you want so you can end this?"

The man simply frowned back at her. "How much?"

Regina scoffed, her low levels of patience being tested to the limit. "Money. Currency. Dollars. Or do you deal in euros? Because let me tell you I won't—"

She was rudely interrupted by the man's laugh. The old fart was actually laughing  _at_   _her_. He clearly had a death wish.  _Good_. She had been willing to grant it to him approximately 5 minutes ago.

"It doesn't work like that. You need to figure things out," the man explained.

"Figure out what?"

The man reached inside his pocket and out of all the things Regina could imagine, he took out a bell, handing it to her as if it offered the answer to world peace. "Just let it come to you."

She waved the bell in front of his face. "And what is this for? Should I go around, ringing this bell and spreading Christmas cheer? Is this some sort of punishment? I'd rather sit through a 6-course dinner with Snow White."

"Let's take a walk and I'll explain it all to you."

Tired of not getting any reasonable explanations and ready to get this ridiculous situation over with, Regina hurried out of the car. She didn't have much time after she heard the sound of the car's motor working again. She quickly turned around to face the car. All she saw was the tail of her Mercedes speeding off.

* * *

Walking the way back to Mifflin Street took twice as long as it would usually take. By the time Regina could see the imposing white mansion, the sun was already high in the sun, unusually warm in the white landscape, full of snow left from what was one of Storybrooke's stormiest winters.

Lost in her thoughts, she was rather rudely pulled back from her (modesty aside) ingenious plan to escape the Charmings if they were still inside the mansion when she returned.

"Hey, Regina!"  _Miss Lucas. Of course._

"What the hell is it with people and accosting me in the middle of the street today?"

The girl looked disgruntled at Regina's tone, which she refused to apologize for. She was already having a terrible day, being forced to be nice to people was absolutely out of question.

"I'm sorry, Regina. I just wanted to ask if everything was okay, y'know." Ruby said. "You were acting a little weird back at the diner."

There was a long stretch of silence, or so it seemed so to Regina. She couldn't really explain what was happening to her.  _A glimpse of a life that could be yours,_ the man had said. And that was it. That was the only explanation the old man had offered her before she woke up married to Emma Swan and with Snow White and Prince Charming as her in laws.

Reason in her made her believe this could only be some sort of magical work. She had been transported to some sort of alternative reality where she was married to the other mother of her son, her no longer enemy, not quite yet friend. But what was the purpose of all of this? Why should she have to endure such an absurd situation? And most importantly, who was that old man and where had he taken her beloved Mercedes?

If she was going to be stuck in a world where she had to walk downstairs, in her own home, and find Snow White beaming at her, she deserved at least to have her Mercedes to run off with.

"You're not cheating on Emma… are you?"

Ruby's voice spilled into her mind like ice. Turning around so she could face the young woman better, Regina practically hissed, "And from where did that nonsensical thought sprout from, Miss Lucas?"

She clearly saw the girl flinch in fear of her tone. "Well… Emma— She's— We talked the other day. She said you've been spending a lot of time away from home. That you've been distant and getting home at some pretty late hours."

The sigh that emerged from Ruby was audible even at the distance Regina was standing from her. Like she was somehow relieved that she got that entire speech out without Regina yelling at her.

Regina let the girl continue. "And today, just right before you came to the diner, Emma called. She was worried sick because you had just ran out on her and your daughter on Christmas morning for no apparent reason."

Ruby's stance had gone from slightly fearful to fiercely protective. Protective of her friend against what she thought was a cheating spouse.

Before Regina got to say anything, reassuring Ruby that she wasn't cheating on anyone, she remembered. This wasn't her life. She couldn't be sure that the other Regina wasn't cheating on Emma and then she felt a pang of guilt. It was such nonsense, because she hadn't even wanted to be married to Emma in the first place, why should she feel any remorse for something she hadn't done to the other woman?

"Look, you don't have to say anything," Ruby offered. "But remember what you once said to me? When I was confused about my feelings for Belle?"

In her surprise, Regina barely contained her gasp. Apparently it wasn't just her relationships that this magical trip had affected. She couldn't remember Miss Lucas demonstrating any kind of feelings for Belle back at home. And did Rumplestiltskin know about this? She couldn't imagine him being much pleased about this little development.

Her musings were quickly interrupted. "Okay, so maybe you don't remember."

Ruby chuckled nervously, her gaze unfocused as if she was reliving something in her mind. "I still remember the exact same words. They meant a lot to me. Still do, actually."

"You said, 'Don't screw up the best thing in your life just because you're afraid of who you are.'"

* * *

The entire ordeal left Regina discombobulated. In less than 5 minutes she was confronted with the possibility that her other self might be cheating on a wife she now found herself married to, that Ruby Lucas might have more than friendly intentions toward Belle, and worse, not only she was now apparently friends with the werewolf, but they  _shared advice about their love lives._ This was all positively disturbing.

She stopped a few minutes in the driveway of the mansion, simply staring at the white covering the otherwise lush greens of her carefully kept garden. The outside of her house looked exactly the same as she remembered but she knew what she was about to meet inside was completely different.

For the first time in her life, she wondered if she should knock on her own front door. Ultimately she decided that it would be best if she just went inside undetected.

Discreetly and as silently as possible, Regina opened the door to the mansion only to find it devoid of life. She was expecting grandiose Christmas' celebrations, the sound of children's cartoons resonating from the living room, just as it had been before she ran out. It was then that Regina took notice of the time, ticking away in a gallery clock hung just outside the entrance to the kitchen.

Twenty minutes past noon. She'd been away all morning.

Regina entered the kitchen, in the hopes of getting something to drink, to alleviate the dryness inside her mouth. All thoughts of fresh water ceased the moment she was met with a nearly hysterical Emma Swan. She couldn't recall a time where she had seen the woman this bedraggled since she had confronted Regina at the hospital, in the wake of Henry's accidental poisoning. In fact, she couldn't forget the desperation in the woman's voice, the pain echoing deep in the green irises. That was the first moment Regina saw Emma as Henry's other mother.

To feel that same worry coming from Emma but this time, directed entirely towards her, almost left Regina breathless.

"Oh my god— Regina's back." Emma nodded even though the person on the other side of the phone call couldn't possibly see her, hurriedly wiping away the tears on her face. "Yes, mom, I'll call you later. Thank you."

It was only after Emma ended the call that Regina began to feel the guilt building up inside her. For a moment Regina thought she was going to get yelled at but she's left to her immense surprise when all she felt was Emma's warmth surrounding her.

She was getting hugged. By Emma Swan.

Regina was in the middle of berating herself for enjoying the hug when Emma pulled back. "Do you have any idea what kind of worry you just put all of us through!?"

So she  _was_  getting yelled at after all. The urge to snap back and let Emma know that she still had no idea what was going and who even "all of us" included, however overwhelming it was, was quickly pushed down by a sob sounding from the blonde.

"What kind of person leaves her family on Christmas morning!?"

"I don't even know what you're talking about!" Regina protested. "I wasn't even meant to be here!"

Emma just stared at Regina, her mouth wide open, as if suddenly Regina had grown another head. "I can't believe this, Regina! I can't believe you're trying to make excuses even now."

Regina, in all of her hot-headedness tried to refute, to fight back but Emma just put a hand up, effectively halting all of her attempts.

"Don't even try. I'm really mad," Emma muttered, sounding more defeated than Regina had ever heard coming from such a strong woman.

"You missed the whole thing, the pancakes, the presents, your daughter's smile as she finally got the dollhouse she's been asking you  _for months_ now… You missed Christmas, Regina."

 

End of Part I.


	2. Discovery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: It's been brought to my attention by a kind reviewer, that I've forgotten to mention in the previous chapter that this fanfic has been inspired by the movie, "The Family Man" with Nicholas Cage. Here's the disclaimer to avoid any problems.
> 
> While the plot does indeed borrow heavily from the ideas of the movie in the first chapter, it's been rewritten and adapted to Swan Queen and the world of Once Upon A Time. For those who have already watched it, some situations will seem familiar, but trust me when I say this story will still surprise you with a few twists. Enjoy!

 

II.

 

The first day was incredibly awkward to say the least.

After the not so unusual fight with Emma, Regina was left feeling like a stranger at her own house. She was almost afraid to wander around only to find the Charmings happily snuggled in her couch. Or maybe, she'd find that the other Regina had grown a fondness for crochet and her house was now decorated with colorful knitted flowers and animals. Perhaps now that both his moms were apparently lesbians and together, Henry had gone under a rebellious phase where he let his hair grow out and then painted it blue.

It was the thought of seeing his son again that made Regina go upstairs. She needed his presence to feel anchored again, to stop being so lost in a world that was so much like hers in many ways but yet still so different in many others.

She stopped in front of his door. Despite her overly exaggerated thoughts before, she truly wondered in what ways this Henry would be any different than hers. Would he still be reluctant to show affection towards her or would he welcome her, like his younger self would, aching for her hugs after a long day of separation at school?

However, before Regina got to open the door and step inside, Emma came out of Regina's room — it was her room now too, Regina remembered — and wearing a frown on her face, Emma asked, "What are you doing? Henry's already at Granny's."

"At Granny's? Why would he be there by himself?"

Emma sighed. "He's not by himself, Regina. He's with his grandparents and everyone else in this town, and we would be too if you hadn't run out on Christmas morning!" She sounded exasperated. At least Emma's personality remained unchanged; she was still as stubborn and prideful as Regina had always known her to be.

When Regina remained silent, completely at a loss about what was supposed to be happening, Emma offered — albeit somewhat begrudgingly — an explanation, "Remember Granny's annual Christmas dinner party? Or are you planning on skipping that too this year?"

Regina almost flinched at the coldness in the other woman's voice. She wasn't used to such fridginess between them — at least not anymore. Not since Regina almost died trying to save Storybrooke, not since Emma almost died with her in a stupid typical Charming attempt of saving her, not since Neverland where they learned to trust each other, first with their eyes and later with their words.

( _Our best chance is together. Our magic. Our son._ )

"Look, just try to be ready in 10 minutes. Everyone's waiting for us already."

Emma has already turned to leave but she was not content with letting her go without some kind of protest. "I really don't think going to a party is most appropriate right now," she protested.

"What?" Emma groaned. "You've been waiting for this party all year long, you've made me help you cook four goddamned apple pies, and now  _what_? You've just decided you're not in the mood anymore?"

"Miss Swan..."

"If you don't want to be there with me, fine. But at least be there for your son. Not to mention Caroline."

She was about to ask who the hell was Caroline but she decided it was best to let things calm down between her and Emma and just let it go. She nodded her confirmation and Emma seemed satisfied with that. "I'll wait for you downstairs."

* * *

 

Her bedroom looked surreal. She was definitely in a completely different universe, because back in her version of Storybrooke, her bedroom had never been this untidy.

There were clothes — a pair of jeans and a leather jacket that clearly belonged to Miss Swan — hanging on the chaise she kept beside her vanity, thrown there without any care.

On top of her vanity there still laid her expensive Dior perfumes and her boxes full of jewerly she rarely used. Luxurious items were something the Evil Queen used to proudly ostentate in front of others. Her rich and intricate gowns were used to both seduce and intimidate at the same time and the jewelry she often wore around her neck, her wrists and her fingers were a shiny warning that she was indeed their Queen, powerful enough to get whatever she wanted, even the most capricious whims.

But ever since her curse had brought her to Storybrooke, Regina had found herself with simpler, more discreet tastes. The closet that the curse had given her, had been full of expensive and tasteful outfits, suits, blazers and shirts that fitted Regina perfectly, as if the curse itself had taken her measures. Perhaps it had accessed her deepest subconscious, the very thoughts, dreams and desires a younger Regina had started burying deep in her mind the day Daniel had died. The girl who had wished only for freedom, even if it meant a simple life, without all the luxuries her mother seemed to appreciate so much, had been long gone the day Regina woke up in Storybrooke, but it had been in Storybrooke that she had found enough freedom to become some semblance of who that girl had wished for.

So Regina was shocked when instead of her beautifully tailored skirts and her crisp white shirts, she found— "Oh gods, is this...  _plaid_?"

Her designer clothes all gone, in exchange for plaid shirts and moccasins. Not only had the other version of her decided to gay marry Emma Swan but she had set upon herself to become the stereotype for lesbian women.

"This is subpar. How am I supposed to get something decent to wear in here? Where did I even get these?"

Buried deep inside her closet, too worried sorting between the copious amount of clothes that were simply unacceptable to wear, Regina had entirely missed the presence of the little girl standing behind her.

It was only when she sneezed that she turned around. She was able to take a good look at her, recognizing her as the little girl that had woken her up that morning. But in the morning haze of having just woken up and finding Emma Swan in her bed only to have a small child jumping on top of her right the next minute, Regina never had the opportunity to really  _look_  at the girl. And now she did.

The big, shining brown eyes that looked up at her were the exact same tone and shape as hers, and as her mother's had been before her. The hair, short and styled similarly as hers, shone as dark as hers under the bedroom light. She was, in many ways, an exact copy of her younger self, except in one. Her smile. She could recognize that smile anywhere, even when it was turned down into a frown, as the girl's currently was. In fact, she had it so deeply ingrained in her mind that it was often the only comfort her dreams gave herself back in Neverland. When she was desperately looking for Henry, so she could see that smile again on his face.

How was it possible? A little girl that was in so many ways like her, but had that one feature that gave her away so easily? Was it possible that this child was both hers and... No. It wasn't possible.

Regina wanted to say something to the girl. Ask her why she was frowning like that. Her weakness had always been children, and her deeply hidden desire to have one of her own. It only made her miss Henry and she desperately wanted to see him but she was now staring at a little girl that could be hers too.

_(Not yours. This isn't your life_.)

"Hello, sweetheart..." As if Regina's voice had sprung her into action, the little girl turned around and ran out of the room, not saying anything back and leaving Regina without a chance to call her back.

She stared for long moments from the open door of her bedroom down the hall, surprised and confused at the girl's actions. It was only when Emma called from downstairs, "Regina, hurry up! Kathryn's already here!" that Regina moved again. She didn't reply back but she was quick in finding a cashmere sweater (it wasn't ironed to her standards but at least it wasn't flannel) and a pair of dark jeans that she considered decent enough to wear.

When she finally got downstairs, Emma and Kathryn were quietly talking in the far corner of the hall. The low hum of their voices quickly quieted down as soon as both women were aware of their presence in the floor.

"Hello, Regina. Merry Christmas," Kathryn said, moving to hug her. The hug was quite welcome, since Kathryn's presence in her life had been sorely missing for quite a while back in her Storybrooke. It seemed that here, the two women had finally talked and rehashed their friendship, and for that Regina was immensely grateful.

"Merry Christmas to you too, Kathryn."

"Alright, sorry to interrupt but we're really in a hurry. Henry has already texted me 4 times asking us how long will we take."

Kathryn just offered a smile, as nice and kind hearted as Regina had always known her to be. "Don't worry, just go. Caroline and I will have some fun and by the time you get home, she'll be asleep and tucked away in her bed."

"Thank you, we owe you one."

"No problem, you know I love taking care of her. She's so well behaved."

"That's all Regina. She's such a mommy's girl, she would do anything she says," Emma said, her usual playful tone returning to her. "Right, Regina?"

Both Emma and Kathryn were looking at her, wide smiles in their faces, their affection for this little girl reflected on it. Regina almost choked on a gasp. That little girl from upstairs, the one that looked so much like her, her name was Caroline. Her daughter's name was Caroline.

She was overwhelmed with the same urgent love she had felt the very moment she had seen baby Henry, being brought to her by a social assistant back in Boston. She had had barely seen his face, she hadn't held him in her arms yet and she  _knew._  He was her son. Her little prince, to love and to be loved back, unconditionally.

Teary-eyed, she simply nodded her response.

"Man, she really has you wrapped around her little finger."

* * *

 

The drive over to Granny's was surprisingly uneventful. Emma's anger had been mellowed out by Regina's emotional reaction to their daughter. They had both stayed silent, each lost to their own thoughts. However, where Regina's thoughts seemed to be focused on their daughter, Emma's were completely focused on someone else.

"Are you sure you wanna go? If you don't feel like it, I can—"

"Miss Swan, even if I wanted to skip this lovely Christmas reunion, I think it's a little bit too late for that, don't you think?" Regina said, making a point of turning her head straight ahead, where the lights from Granny's diner became brighter and brighter as they approached. "I guess I'll be alright for tonight. At least Henry will be there."

"Right." Emma replied. Regina could see that she was holding back but the car was parked and Emma was standing beside it before Regina could say anything.

The lights outside Granny's diner reminded her of the night after Emma and Mary Margaret had returned from the Enchanted Forest. The invitation had come with a warm smile, the kind that hadn't been directed at her for years. She felt how much Emma had wanted her to go and that's what had lead her to say yes. But once she had gotten there, hope throbbing through her veins, making her heart beat faster, she knew she would never be welcome in between these people.

Emma's defense had calmed her, making her forget her fears momentarily. She would be able to stay there as long as she had someone by her side, someone familiar that didn't look at her like she was a monster. The night had even been made better when Henry had approached her, wide smile going all the way from his lips to his twinkling eyes. He had been grateful she was there. She would've cried tears of joy but it seemed like all of her tears were meant to be wept in anguish, never in happiness.

But as always, any enjoyment in her life was short-lived. Soon, Henry had left her in favor of Ruby's company, both of them laughing over a game they seemed to be playing with rubber bands. On the other side of the room, where Emma had stayed since Regina got there, Dr. Hopper was explaining something animatedly to a seemingly attentive Emma. Regina knew she was avoiding her. Not knowing why, but still understanding the woman, Regina had left the diner, rejection stinging in her eyes like tears. She was familiar with it, but it didn't matter how many times the feeling had found her, it still stung like the first time her mother had sneered at her when she showed her a painting of her favorite horse at the age of 5. It hadn't been the most beautiful of paintings (she never had much flair for the arts) but it had spurred her mother into forcing her to take lessons until she was 12.

She could still remember how Emma's golden hair had looked under the bright lights of the patio outside the diner. It looked exactly like it did now.

Regina gasped with the force of her memories. The awkward smiles that had been exchanged between them, her optimism that Emma would help bring her and her son closer together again, only to be thwarted by Emma's softly spoken words.

( _I'm not sure that's best. Because you know so much about parenting in the five minutes you've been with him._ )

How, for a moment, Regina had thought the truce they had just found themselves in, had been broken. Yet again, Emma had shown Regina forgiveness. She had accepted her teary-eyed apologies with a kindness that Regina herself wasn't capable of and in that moment, Regina was grateful that Emma was an infinitely much better person than she would ever be.

Emma had believed in her; given her a second chance. And she had taken it away right the next day.

It had hurt more than Regina had cared to admit back then.

"Mom! Momma! You're here, finally!"

Regina's eyes focused again, a stray tear running down her cheek that she was quick to wipe with the back of her hand. When she looked up, a gangly teenager was running towards her and Emma. He couldn't be more than 17 and yet he resembled so much to her little boy— "Henry."

"Hey, Mom." The smile he gave her was unmistakably Henry's, his boyish innocence not lost between the first wisps of facial hair. Her little boy was now growing into a handsome young man and Regina's heart filled with an elation only he had ever managed to bring her.

Not only had she been transported to an alternative reality, but she had travelled in time 5 or 6 years, she assumed.

"Come on, let's go inside. Everyone is waiting for you."

* * *

 

Inside the diner must've been at least 20 people, all faces Regina recognized but that only now could see the passing of time on them.

Regina had completely missed the more mature features on Ruby this morning and there were a few white hairs showing in Archie's hair. Granny still looked the same, strong and energetic in her old age but she could only count 6 of the dwarves now. She looked around the diner in search of the other one but all she found was— "Oh gods, no."

Snow White and her Prince Charming were already sitting in a booth, waving them over with eager hands and bright smiles. Regina made a turn to leave but Henry grabbed her hand and dragged her in their direction.

"Mom, please. It's Christmas." He whispered into her ear.

Regina remembered then that she had run out this morning and consequently had missed Christmas morning not only with Emma and their daughter, but with their son too. "I'm sorry. I promise I'll try my best not to strangle your grandmother if she stops smili—"

"Hello, Regina. We were worried something had happened to you or Emma." Snow said.

"Yes, I'm sure you were very worried about my well-being." She muttered, sitting next to Henry. Emma settled on her left side but not without elbowing her first, "Ow! Miss Swan, what was that for?"

"Behave," was all that she got.

For once, she didn't mind Miss Swan's insolence.

If Regina's previous experience at a gathering like this had turned out to be unpleasant, this one had turned out surprisingly enjoyable. After Snow White and Charming had excused themselves out of the booth, of course.

Emma had moved to occupy the other side of the booth and soon both her and Henry were lost to a discussion about basketball teams. Regina offered no input in their conversation; she had never adhered to any of this world's sports. Still, she enjoyed getting to know more of her son's newfound interests. Apparently, after his growth spurt, he had joined the basketball team at his high school (his little boy was already in junior year, oh gods).

"Momma, the Celtics haven't had a good season in years."

Emma protested. "I thought I had raised you to know better than that, kid."

"Technically, Miss Swan, you didn't raise him. I did." Regina couldn't help it. There was a part of her that still resented Emma for showing up and simply claiming motherhood of Henry. She had raised him for 11 years, all on her own, she was the "Mom" of his first word, the one who he called for in the middle of the night, the one who had always soothed his aches. She had been the one at his side during every surge of flu, every sick stomach and every scraped knee. But it had been in Emma's arms that an 11-year old Henry had found comfort and Regina's possessiveness struggles to find peace with that.

She knew her comment had been unnecessary, hurtful and possibly damaging to the quiet peace and contentment the three had found that night. She opened her mouth to apologize, eager to take the frown off of Emma's features, but her opportunity was quickly lost. Emma got up in a blur, leaving the diner altogether, and Regina wanted to go after her, in an ironic reversal of roles.

( _No, wait! I'm sorry! Emma, I'm— I'm sorry._ )

She was stopped by Henry. "No, Mom. You need to give her some time."

11-year old Henry would've probably yelled at her, demanding of her to fix the situation, to fix all that her dark soul destroyed. But this Henry just wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. She laid her head on his shoulder, letting herself be surrounded by his smell, stronger now but still so  _Henry, Henry, Henry_.

"She knows you didn't really mean it. It's gonna be fine." At Regina's dismissing scoff, he pressed on. "You've gotten through so much together. I'm  _your_ son, every bit as yours as I am hers and she knows that  _you_  know that too."

Regina lifted her head to get a better look at him. He offered her a reassuring smile that she couldn't help but return, brighter than his. Her little prince was no longer so little, as gallant and kind as she had always dreamed him to be.

She lifted a hand to cup around his cheek, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. "Oh, Henry…"

"Now, do you wanna tell me why you ran out on Momma this morning?"

"If I told you the truth, you wouldn't believe me."

"Try me."

Regina told him about the old man on her TV on Christmas Eve, how she had woken up in this strange new reality where she was married to Emma Swan and he was 17 and not 12 like he had been the last time he had seen her. He listened to her carefully and as soon as she finished, he proclaimed, "You're still my mom. But we should find a way to fix this. It's probably for the best if we don't tell Momma though, I think she already had enough with the whole fairytale stuff, I don't think she needs to deal with time-travelling now."

"Oh Henry, you truly are the only one in all of the realms who believes in me."

As if sensing the end of the conversation between Henry and Regina, the door of the diner opened once again, revealing a slightly red faced Emma. At first, Regina thought it was from the cold, but when the blonde walked closer, she finally saw the remnants of tear tracks.

"I think it's time we go home."

* * *

 

Regina felt warm. So warm.

She could feel the silk sheets in her bed slide deliciously against her skin as she stretched beneath the warm rays of sun filtering through the windows. She would stay in bed for a few moments more, enjoying the laziness that the first few minutes of the morning always brought her. Then she would get up, take a shower and make some coffee. She would be ready by the time Emma stopped by to drop Henry off, eager to spend Christmas with her little prince.

Then she heard the cartoons sounding from downstairs. And then, "Mommy, I can't find my ballet slippers!" and, "Can I take the car keys today?"

Her eyes opened instantaneously and she remembered where she was. Or rather,  _when_  she was.

However, Emma was nowhere in sight. She sighed. After last night's disaster at the diner, the drive home had been tense. Regina had ached to apologize, to say something that could possibly fix the broken look Emma had in her eyes, but she remembered Henry's words and let it go. Getting in bed with a woman that, not only was upset with her, but until the previous day had been no more than a quasi-friend to Regina, had been painfully awkward but necessary. She refused to sleep in the couch, no matter how guilty she felt. Sleep had taken a long time to come to her; she spent more than an hour staring at the bedside clock, ticking away second by second. She knew Emma hadn't gotten much sleep either; it was only at 2am that she finally heard the breathing of the other woman deepen.

After waking up the previous morning with the woman sprawled on top of her, waking up alone had left a strangeness in her, one that she quickly thought to ignore. Now that she was finally alone in her room, she took the opportunity to take a shower in the adjoining bathroom.

The warm water felt heavenly in her tense muscles. Arriving in Storybrooke to plumbing and hot water always at her disposal had been a luxury, even to a Queen like her. One that she appreciated every single time she had not to wait more than an hour for warm water for a bath.

She was so lost in her enjoyment that she didn't hear the footsteps inside the bathroom, or the shower's glass door sliding open and then close again. She did feel however when a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and lips started kissing the back of her neck.

She moved away from the intruder, turning around to face them. She was met with a very naked Emma Swan, wearing only a smirk on her lips.

"What are you doing, Miss Swan!?"

"Oh, so it's Miss Swan again,  _Madam Mayor_?" She moved closer to Regina, trying to wrap her arms around her again, only to be slapped in the arm. "Ow! Feeling kinky today, huh?"

"I'm not feeling anything except the urge to kick you out of this bathroom!"

"I just wanted to tell you that… I'm not angry with you anymore," Emma said, a pout replacing her smirk. "I thought maybe we could have some amazing make up sex in the shower before work."

"Miss Swan!"

"Okay, okay, I get it! No shower sex while the kids are awake and around!" Throwing her hands in the air in defeat, she turned to leave the shower, but not before she added, "Go help Caro find her ballet slippers though. I have no idea where you put those."

_Well, neither do I_.

It took Regina a few minutes to calm down after Emma left (the woman has a piercing on her belly button!) and a few more to find something adequate to dress again. She was in sore need of a shopping trip.

After that, finding Caroline's room had taken her a while longer. The second floor had more than 6 rooms but at the end of the hall, there was a room with its door slightly ajar. Stuck on it was a drawing. On top, it read "Caroline's family" written in wobbly cursive, that reminded her of Henry's handwriting in his first year of school. Underneath, there was a huge white house with blue windows that Regina assumed was the Mayoral Mansion. In front of the mansion, four little stick figures, each with very unique characteristics: on the right, was a tall woman with long blonde hair, beneath it it read "Momma"; to the blonde's left, holding her hand, a little girl with short hair and a pink dress, "Mommy's little ballerina"; holding the other hand, a woman with short hair, "Mommy", and on the woman's left side, a tall boy with a sword, "Henry".

The surge of love was overpowering. This was her family, as unimaginable as it could be to her. She had found her happy ending with the woman destined to destroy her, had trusted Emma enough to let her give her what she had always wanted.

She went inside her daughter's room, eager to find more about her, her happy ending.

Regina quickly noticed a theme inside the room. Her little girl was obsessed with ballet. Her ballet tutu was laid on top of her canopy bed, frilly and pink in contrast with the white of the comforter underneath. On the opposite side of the bed, on top of a small dresser rested at least five little ballerina figurines, surrounding a box. Regina moved closer, intent on figuring out what was inside that box but she was interrupted by the sound of small footsteps approaching her.

Caroline stood beside her bed, still wearing her pajamas, keeping her distance between herself and Regina, reluctant to go any further.

"Hey, sweetheart. Your momma told me you were looking for your ballet shoes?" Regina asked, her voice whisper soft. She was actually scared that she would spook off the girl again and she wanted, no,  _needed_  to see more of this tiny copy of her.  _Her_   _daughter._ Regina had a daughter. She wanted to laugh out loud in her bliss, to laugh at a life that so easily gave her immeasurable pains but also sought out to give her the biggest of joys. She had already felt incredibly lucky when Henry had been put in her arms, but she felt positively blessed now at the prospect of a life so full of love only brought to someone by their children.

The little girl just nodded her answer and a thought crossed Regina's mind that she had yet to hear her voice. "Okay. Let's look inside your closet."

The closet wasn't that big but it was full of toys that had obviously been outgrown, but had been kept for a reason. She spent at least fifteen minutes crouching, delving into piles of toys that had somehow been mixed in the middle of the girl's shoes and she wondered if the other Regina had lost her sense of organization, along with her sense of fashion.

She could feel eyes following her every movement and deciding the shoes weren't in the closet, she got up and turned to face Caroline, "They're not here, darling."

Dark brown eyes were staring intently into Regina's face, as if they were trying to figure something out.

Finally, a small voice interrupted the silence. "You're not really Mommy, are you?"

"...What. No— Why would you think something like that?" Regina was stammering. She cautiously took a step forward the girl, bending down so she could be at eye level with her. It was an habit she had acquired when Henry had learned to walk and he would follow her everywhere, asking her a million questions about everything she did. She would always stop what she was doing, crouch in front of him and answer his every question, just so he always knew he had her absolute attention. She remembered the tall looming figure of her Mother, always towering over her in a show of power. She remembered being forced to look up at her Mother, even when fear overtook her entire body ( _You will look up to me, Regina!_ ). She had never wanted Henry to feel fear when he approached her.

"Mommy always knows where everything is. And Mommy would've never missed Christmas."

The guilt that had been slowly winding down since last night came back, consuming the part of Regina that loved too much, too strong, that needed to be good enough.

"Where's my Mommy?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know." Tears were threatening to spill over, and Regina cleared her throat to get rid of the roughness in her voice. She added, "I wish I could know how to fix this, how to bring your Mommy back, but I'm sure she'll be back soon. I know she misses you a lot."

A pout, so familiar to Emma and Henry's, grew on the little girl's mouth. "You look just like her." She sounded positively miserable. Moving closer yet so she could wrap her arms around the trembling little girl, Regina's heart broke with every shudder that she felt against her chest.

Caroline buried her face deeper into Regina's neck and Regina had only to turn her head slightly to the side to kiss the girl on top of her head. "Shh, sweetheart, please don't cry. It's all going to be alright, I promise."

After she held her for a few moments more, rocking her back and forth in an attempt to calm her, she felt the sobs stop. Pulling back, she cupped the girl's face in both hands, wiping away a few stray tears with her thumbs.

"Do you know how to make hot chocolate and Mommy's special snow pancakes?"

"Indeed I do." Regina replied, smiling in reassurance at the little girl. She tapped the tiny nose in front of her and Caroline giggled and scrunched her nose, all the tension gone between the two of them.

"Welcome home."

* * *

 

After that, both Regina and Caroline had sprung up in a last effort to find the missing ballet shoes, only to find out they had been under the bed all along.

Regina couldn't keep her laughter in when Caroline had looked at her with the most ingenuous look and simply said, "Oops."

* * *

 

An hearty breakfast later and an argument with Emma over whether or not their son "is old enough to drive, Regina!" — that she had promptly lost after Henry had shown her his driver's license, reminding her that she wasn't his little boy anymore —, Regina found herself inside a Prius. She had accepted many things about this bizarre situation she had found herself into, but she would always be bitter about her Mercedes being taken.

She stopped at Storybrooke's Elementary School at precisely 8:30am and Caroline had already been halfway outside the car when she remembered, "Wait!"

The girl turned expectantly to her, already impatient to join her friends that were calling her over.

"What time am I supposed to pick you up?"

"Oh. I have ballet class on Mondays and Thursdays until 4:30 but on Mondays Henry comes pick me up."

She trusts Henry, as much as she can trust a boy who just a few days ago had been 11 years old to her with a car, but she still felt unsure about leaving her son and daughter on their own. "I'll have to talk with Henry about that, but for today it's fine."

"He's a prince! Nothing is gonna happen to us!"

Regina smiled at that. Of course Henry would turn out to be a protective older brother.

"Okay, sweetheart. Have a nice day at school." And with that Caroline ran out of the car. Regina was sure the little girl wasn't going to look back but she turned around and ran towards the car again. She opened the car's window, the cold from outside a stark contrast to the warm interior on the inside.

"Did you forget something?" She said nothing, effectively surprising Regina when tiny gloved hands moved to cup her cheeks and a kiss was dropped on the tip of her nose.

"Yup. I always give Mommy a kiss goodbye."

Affection had always been so easily denied to her that any kind of readily given moments like this, so full of it, felt surreal. People like her,  _villains_ , didn't deserve this. They don't deserve happy endings where their daughters look at them like they're their entire world.

"Thank you, my dear." She felt a tear slide down her face but before she could move to wipe it, a tiny hand swept in to do it.

"You're silly." Caroline said, giggling.

"Hmm, perhaps I am." She winked at her, earning her another giggle. Then, she thought of something else. Something important. "Do you know where do I have to go now?"

Caroline frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you know where your Mommy works?" After the curse broke, she had been asked to step down from office and she had a feeling that no matter how welcoming the town was towards her now, that situation still hasn't changed.

"Oh! Yeah, Mommy works at the flower shop!"

"Gods, I knew I had watched  _Imagine Me & You _too many times."

"What's that?" Damnit, she had said that out loud.

"Yes, you did. Also, Mommy says not to curse."

Regina forced a smile. "You're right, sweetheart. You need to go now before you're late for class."

"Okay. Bye!"

Now she had to find why the hell the other Regina had decided to channel Lena Headey's character.

* * *

 

The flower shop was, as she had correctly assumed, the one that had previously been owned by the French family. Everything had remained the same as the Frenches had left it, even its name.

Her day spent at the flower shop was rather enjoyable if not a little uneventful. Only a few went inside, fewer even buying anything. So Regina had spent most of the morning and early afternoon tending to the many flowers around the shop.

Her love for plants and trees had grown in the years of her marriage to Leopold. Stuck in a palace, lonely even though she was already surrounded by servants, she had taken a quiet refuge in the palace's gardens. In the middle of it, she had grown her esteemed apple tree. Surrounding it she had planted all kinds of bushes, where red, yellow, white roses grew. It was truly the most beautiful place in the palace, delicate and innocent in ways Regina no longer felt. With every night she was forced to lay with her husband, the one she had been forced to marry after the love of her life was killed right in front of her eyes, Regina felt a darkness growing inside her, looming dangerously over the girl who had only ever wanted to be free.

The curse had required her to kill the thing she loved the most and if she could no longer have her beautiful Rocinante to ride on or her father's kind words, she would have the apple tree who stood strong while Regina crumbled under the weight of her grief.

It was barely past 5:40pm when Regina finally drove home. She would have to make dinner for more people now, so she made a quick detour to the supermarket first. She would be needing ingredients for her famous pepper flakes lasagna.

Dinner had been a successful endeavor. Emma and her hadn't fought, in fact, in between listening to Caroline and Henry recount their days, and then laughing about their after school shenanigans at the ice cream parlor ( _Henry! We're in the middle of winter! You're not supposed to have ice cream! Moooom, you can have ice cream all year long!_ ), they had a wonderful evening.

After dinner, homework had been done and baths had been taken, and Caroline and Henry had been sent to bed, Regina had left herself follow the way to her office. These last couple of days had been trying on her, and she had been aching to have a little of her apple cider.

At first glance, her office had looked the same, full of rich browns and reds, a fireplace that was more often that not burning strong, giving the room a warmer ambience than the rest of the house lacked, with its sterile whites.

As Regina approached the table where she kept a few bottles of her cider, she noticed an addition to the decoration. Regina had never been one for pictures, and so, the mansion had been lacking in any portraits, even after Henry had come into her life.

She stared at the frames laid on top of the table. The leftmost frame held a picture of her and Henry, sitting down in one of Granny's booths. He looked younger, perhaps by 3 or 4 years, but he looked happy in her arms. The middle one had Caroline sitting on top of Emma's shoulders, their smiles wide and their eyes crinkling in joy. It was the last frame that surprised Regina the most. She grabbed it and took it with her to the couch, intent on examining it closer.

She looked at her own face, genuine happiness so evident on it that it seemed so impossible that she had ever felt like that. Pressed to her right was Emma, looking every bit as happy. It was in the way she held Regina against her, though, an arm wrapped around her waist, that gave away the care Emma held for the woman in the photo. She had many people hold her and every time, the embrace had felt different. Her mother's had always felt suffocating, her father's warm but hypocritical, Daniel's passionate and later Leopold's possessive and empty. She had felt love in Henry's embrace but she had also felt disdain in it. She could see the care in Emma's embrace, how deeply she cherished the person in her arms.

Regina had doubted her other self, why would she have chosen to marry herself to someone who she had once despised so deeply, the daughter of a woman she wanted revenge against, but now she knew.

Love had always been her weakness. Her mother had tried to taken it out of her, urging Regina to become cold and calculated. And so Regina did. But without love Regina had felt empty, her revenge never fulfilling enough the never ending hunger for something  _more_.

She knew love would be her destruction once again when she had found out the Savior was the mother of the baby boy she had adopted, but she had been weak, choosing instead to latch on the hope for her happy ending that her little prince had brought along.

And she knew that if Emma had offered even a little of that hope again, she had taken it, not without fear or reluctance but she would always take it. Finally, her happy ending.

"Hey, the kids are asleep."

Regina didn't even look up. She brushed her thumb over Emma's face one last time before she got up to return the frame to its place. "Good, bedtimes are to be obeyed."

She wasn't, however, expecting the sight that she was met with when she turned back around. Emma stood in front of her, wearing only her bra and panties, and Regina couldn't help but notice the definition of the blonde's abs. Taking advantage of Regina's momentary distraction, Emma grabbed her hand and dragged her to the couch, moving to straddle Regina in a bold move that left her speechless.

"We haven't had sex in here in so long. I say we take the opportunity now."

"You want… to have sex?  _With me_?"

Emma laughed. "You sound surprised. Is it not normal to want to have sex with your super hot wife?"

If Regina had an answer to that, it was completely silence after Emma started kissing a path down her neck, nipping and biting, causing Regina to moan softly. She pulled back, a smug look on face. "I'm expecting you to make it up to me for yesterday."

In a movement so fast Regina could barely register it, Emma cupped the back of her neck, pulling her forward to meet her lips. At first, shock overtook Regina. She knew she was married to Emma in this world, but she had never thought about this aspect of their relationship. Which apparently they had no problem with.

Then, Regina felt the tension leave her body and she melted into the kiss. She closed her eyes, letting her senses be surrounded by all of Emma. Her arms moved to wrap around themselves around the small of Emma's back, the kiss heating up for a moment, her mouth opening to let Emma's tongue inside, their tongues battling with a passion so characteristic to their relationship. Even when they had fought tooth and nails, Regina had felt the sexual tension sizzling between them and she knew if they ever gave in to it, it would be brutal, unforgiving, nothing like the sweet kisses shared beneath the trees in the Enchanted Forest.

They broke the kiss when the lack of oxygen demanded so, but Regina wanted  _more, more, more._ She brought Emma's face down for another kiss, this one slower, tender in its execution, small nips and subtle brushes of tongue. It was slow enough to let Regina calm down and realize what she was doing. What she had been enjoying for the past few moments.

Emma's question came through in a whisper, "How did you do that?"

"What?"

"You kissed me like this was the first time we had ever kissed."

Regina was at a loss for words. This had been the first time she had kissed Emma, but Emma didn't know that.

"I love you."

She didn't dare look up at Emma. She couldn't. Not if she wasn't going to say anything back. She couldn't handle seeing the hurt in her eyes again.

Sensing Regina's discomfort, Emma rose from her lap, putting her shirt back on, before offering Regina a hand. "Come on, your majesty, let's go to sleep."

This time, Regina didn't hesitate.

 

End of Part II.

 

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to Carole-Anne for supporting me while I wrote this and cheering me up immensely when I was feeling insecure about it.
> 
> I hope this was a good enough tease for what's to come, I'm planning on splitting this story into 3 parts with an epilogue but experience tells me the story always ends up getting out of control. Part 2 should be ready to post this Friday, the 27th.
> 
> Merry Christmas to everyone!


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